Hi all,
I have been researching quite a bit and now it seems the more I know, the more I realize I know nothing and it gets increasingly confusing to make a decision.
We are currently considering the adoption of a dog as a family companion.
We like medium to large-sized dogs that are athletic, with a certain dignity to them, and dogs that are great family companions, love children, can watch the house during our absence and can come with us for our jog.
I know that this can be difficult to achieve, but I want a dog that is safe with kids but that can also protect the family. I want to have peace of mind when I know that my significant other is out for her run in the trails by herself, and when she is home alone (there have been recent and several instances of people - even athletic men - being mugged on the street here).
I find that the GSD seems to fit the bill for many of the things we are looking for in a dog but we are just not sure if it would be the right breed for us for the following reasons:
1- I owned Boxers in the past. I loved them, but I would prefer a calmer breed for our next familly dog. I think I am not mistaken to think that the GSD is definitely calmer;
2- We both work. This means the dog would be home alone from 7am to 3pm every day of the week, with only our cat as a companion.
3- We want a dog that is relatively easy to train (basic obedience, potty/house training, maybe protection and/or Schutzhund).
4- We do not have kids (yet) which means the dog would not be exposed to them so much. However, I have little nieces (plus we may have kids) and I want to make sure they wouldn't get hurt/bit by the dog (same with the neighboor's kids);
In light of the aforementioned, would you say that the GSD could be a suitable familly dog for us? If so, what type (show vs working line, level of drive, etc.) would best meet our needs?
Would you recommend a male or a female, given all of the above?
Would you know of a reputable breeder in Ontario, Quebec or not too far out in the US?
Thanking you in advance for your time and educated feedback.
I have been researching quite a bit and now it seems the more I know, the more I realize I know nothing and it gets increasingly confusing to make a decision.
We are currently considering the adoption of a dog as a family companion.
We like medium to large-sized dogs that are athletic, with a certain dignity to them, and dogs that are great family companions, love children, can watch the house during our absence and can come with us for our jog.
I know that this can be difficult to achieve, but I want a dog that is safe with kids but that can also protect the family. I want to have peace of mind when I know that my significant other is out for her run in the trails by herself, and when she is home alone (there have been recent and several instances of people - even athletic men - being mugged on the street here).
I find that the GSD seems to fit the bill for many of the things we are looking for in a dog but we are just not sure if it would be the right breed for us for the following reasons:
1- I owned Boxers in the past. I loved them, but I would prefer a calmer breed for our next familly dog. I think I am not mistaken to think that the GSD is definitely calmer;
2- We both work. This means the dog would be home alone from 7am to 3pm every day of the week, with only our cat as a companion.
3- We want a dog that is relatively easy to train (basic obedience, potty/house training, maybe protection and/or Schutzhund).
4- We do not have kids (yet) which means the dog would not be exposed to them so much. However, I have little nieces (plus we may have kids) and I want to make sure they wouldn't get hurt/bit by the dog (same with the neighboor's kids);
In light of the aforementioned, would you say that the GSD could be a suitable familly dog for us? If so, what type (show vs working line, level of drive, etc.) would best meet our needs?
Would you recommend a male or a female, given all of the above?
Would you know of a reputable breeder in Ontario, Quebec or not too far out in the US?
Thanking you in advance for your time and educated feedback.